Paint brush with angle adjustable handle

ABSTRACT

A paint brush for applying paints, varnishes, pastes, and films of other viscous materials to various articles, the paint brush having a body with first and second ends, a bristle head disposed at the first end of the body, and a flexible handle disposed at the second end of the body. The handle is selectively bendable so as to dispose the bristle head at any desired angle relative to a gripping portion of the handle. The handle may be connected to an extension portion which may be internally threaded to accept an extension pole.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to paint brushes, and improved methods and apparatus for painting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Paint brushes are commonly used for applying paints, varnishes, pastes, and films of other viscous materials to various articles. The basic design of most paint brushes has gone unchanged for many years. Paint brushes typically include a plurality of bristles which are bunched together by a collar into a bristle head and attached to a rigid handle having an axis parallel to the bristles.

[0003] Such paint brushes are ordinarily used by manually clasping the handle of the brush with the hand and manipulating the brush in a back and forth manner by bending the arm and wrist in a natural fashion. This method generally works well when the surface being worked with the brush is directly in front of and facing the painter. However, when the surface being painted is for example, above or below the painter and/or facing away from the painter, the bristle head of the brush must be angled to paint such a surface. This is normally accomplished by bending and/or twisting the wrist, arm, and/or shoulder of the hand that manipulates the brush. Unfortunately such manipulations can be very uncomfortable especially during prolonged painting and can even injure the painter's wrist, arm, shoulder, and/or neck.

[0004] Accordingly, an improved paint brush is needed which permits the wrist and other parts of the body to be maintained in a more natural attitude.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention in one or more embodiments discloses a paint brush with an angle adjustable handle that permits the bristle head of the brush to be positioned at any angle (relative to the handle).

[0006] A brush comprising a body having first and second ends, a bristle head disposed at the first end of the body, and an angle adjustable handle disposed at the second end of the body is disclosed. The handle is adapted to permit the bristle head of the brush to be positioned at any angle relative to at least a portion of the handle thereby allowing the wrist and other parts of the body to be maintained in a more natural attitude. The handle may include or may have attached to it an extension portion which may be internally threaded to accept an extension pole to attach to the handle for extended reach.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The advantages, nature, and various additional features of the invention will appear more fully upon consideration of the illustrative embodiments now to be described in detail in connection with accompanying drawings wherein:

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint brush according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the paint brush of FIG. 1; and

[0010]FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the paint brush of FIG. 1 and an extension pole whose outer threads can be inserted into the inner threads of a extension portion of the paint brush.

[0011] It should be understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustrating the concepts of the invention and may not be to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012]FIG. 1 shows a paint brush 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The paint brush 10 comprises a body 12 with first and second ends 14 and 16, respectively, a bristle head 18 disposed at the first end 14 of the body 12 and an angle adjustable handle 20 disposed at the second end 16 of the body 12. The paint brush 10 also may include extension portion 21 connected to an end 32 of the angle adjustable handle 20. The extension portion 21 may be a hollow tube which includes internal threads 23 a, the location of which are shown by dashed lines in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 3 shows an extension 50. The extension 50 may have an end portion 52 which has outer threads 52 a. The portion 52 may be screwed into the extension portion 21 of the brush 10 so that the outer threads 52 a engage the inner threads 23 a of the extension portion 21. The extension portion 21, unlike the angle adjustable handle 20, may be rigid, instead of flexible, and the extension portion 21 may be comprised of a hard plastic material.

[0013] Although the paint brush 10 of the invention is especially useful for applying paints, varnishes, pastes, and films of other viscous materials to various articles, it is contemplated that the paint brush 10 will be useful in other applications as well.

[0014] The bristle head 18 is made up of a plurality of bristles 22 and a collar 24 which gathers the bristles 22 together in a bundle 23 and connects them to the first end 14 of the body 12. Nails 26 pass through the collar 24 and into the body 12 to hold the collar 24 and the body 12 together. As is conventional, the bristles 22 are set in an adhesive (not shown) which bonds the ends of the bristles 22 to the interior surface of the collar 24, permanently securing the bristles 22 to the collar 24.

[0015] The angle adjustable handle 20 is a flexible member having a first end 30 affixed to second end 16 of the body 12, and a second end 32 which is connected to a first end 25 a of the extension portion 21. A second end 25 b of the extension portion 21 is a free end which can be connected to the extension pole 50 in FIG. 3. The lower portion of the handle 20 leading toward the second end 32 thereof defines a hand gripping section 34.

[0016]FIG. 2 illustrates how the handle 20 is adapted to be selectively bent to dispose the bristle head 18 of the brush 10 at any desired angle relative to the axis X-X of the hand gripping section 34 to provide a virtually infinite variety of relative angular use positions. The handle 20 will maintain any selected bent configuration hence providing a rigid yet readily adjustable handle structure.

[0017] As show in FIGS. 1 and 2, the adjustable handle 20 can be constructed from about a 5 or 6 inch length of conventional corrugated sheet metal tubing formed as a metal bellows. The length L2 from end 30 to end 32 of the handle 20, shown in FIG. 1, may be five or six inches. The corrugated metal tubing should have an outside diameter of about 0.875 inches to facilitate a comfortable grip of the handle 20. In other embodiments, the adjustable handle 20 can be constructed from a large-diameter bendable wire coated with a plastic or elastomeric material (not shown).

[0018] The body 12 of the brush 10 is conventionally constructed from wood or plastic. The bristles 22 of the brush 10 are typically made from synthetic material, horsehair and the like. The brush 10 can also be constructed in any desired width commonly used in the paint brush art.

[0019]FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the paint brush 10 and an extension pole 50 whose outer threads 52 a of portion 52 can be inserted into the inner threads 23 a of the extension portion 21 of the paint brush 10. The extension pole 50 may be for example L1 in length, where L1 may be four feet.

[0020] While the foregoing invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications and changes are considered to be within the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A brush comprising: a body having first and second ends; a bristle head disposed at the first end of the body; and an angle adjustable handle disposed at the second end of the body.
 2. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the angle adjustable handle is a flexible member.
 3. The brush according to claim 2, wherein the flexible member comprises a length of corrugated sheet metal tubing formed like a metal bellows.
 4. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the angle adjustable handle includes a first end affixed to the second end of the body, a second end, and a hand gripping section marginally adjacent to the second end.
 5. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the angle adjustable handle can be selectively bent to dispose the bristle head at any desired angle relative to a gripping portion of the handle.
 6. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the angle adjustable handle is a flexible member having a first end affixed to the second end of the body, a second end, and hand gripping section marginally adjacent to the second end.
 7. The brush according to claim 6, wherein the angle adjustable handle can be selectively bent to dispose the bristle head at any desired angle relative to a gripping portion of the handle.
 8. The brush according to claim 6, wherein the flexible member comprises a length of corrugated sheet metal tubing formed like a metal bellows.
 9. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the angle adjustable handle includes a first end affixed to the second end of the body, a second end, and hand gripping section marginally adjacent to the second end, the handle being capable of being selectively bent to dispose the bristle head at any desired angle relative to a gripping portion of the handle.
 10. The brush according to claim 9, wherein the flexible member comprises a length of corrugated sheet metal tubing formed like a metal bellows.
 11. The brush according to claim 10 wherein the brush includes an extension portion which is internally threaded and into which an extension handle can be placed.
 12. The brush according to claim 1, wherein the bristle head includes a plurality of bundled together bristles.
 13. A paint brush for applying paints, varnishes, pastes, and films of other viscous materials to various articles, the paint brush comprising: a body having first and second ends; a bristle head disposed at the firs end of the body; and an angle adjustable handle disposed at the second end of the body.
 14. The paint brush according to claim 13, wherein the angle adjustable handle is a flexible member.
 15. The paint brush according to claim 14, wherein the flexible member comprises a length of corrugated sheet metal tubing formed like a metal bellows.
 16. The paint brush according to claim 13, wherein the angle adjustable handle includes a first end affixed to the second end of the body, a second end, and hand gripping section marginally adjacent to the second end.
 17. The paint brush according to claim 13, wherein the angle adjustable handle can be selectively bent to dispose the bristle head at any desired angle relative to a gripping portion of the handle.
 18. The paint brush according to claim 13, wherein the angle adjustable handle includes a first end affixed to the second end of the body, a second end, and hand gripping section marginally adjacent to the second end, the handle being capable of being selectively bent to dispose the bristle head at any desired angle relative to a gripping portion of the handle.
 19. The paint brush according to claim 18, wherein the flexible member comprises a length of corrugated sheet metal tubing formed like a metal bellows.
 20. The paint brush according to claim 13, wherein the bristle head includes a plurality of bundled together bristles.
 21. A paint brush for applying paints, varnishes, pastes, and films of other viscous materials to various articles, the paint brush comprising: a body having first and second ends; a plurality of bundled together bristles disposed at the first end of the body; and a flexible handle disposed at the second end of the body, the handle being selectively bendable to dispose the bristles at any desired angle relative to a gripping portion of the handle.
 22. The paint brush of claim 21 further comprising an extension portion connected to the flexible handle, wherein the extension portion is internally threaded to accept an extension pole. 